Digital Commons Network^™

Leaving A Legacy: Empowering Students To Give Back, Eric Schutter

Honors Theses

Most college universities struggle to convince alumni to give back to their former institutions. Currently, only 19.9% of college alumni give back to their former colleges (Alumni Factor, 2018). Despite the amount of time and energy that schools invest in their students, many of the students are not making any sort of commitment in return. However, there is a solution. If college programs found ways to create avenues for students, both current and former, to give back outside of just university general funds, they could see an increase in student giving from both parties. While there is a notion that …

The Laggard Leader: A Historiography Of The Origins Of Wage And Income Inequality In The United States, 1973-84, Nathan Sikora

Honors Theses

Since 1973, wage and income inequality has increased dramatically in the United States. Workers who entered the labor market after the 1970s did not experience the same level of economic security as workers in the 1950s and 1960s during the “Golden Age of Capitalism.” Jobs paid relatively lower wages, there was less opportunity for collective bargaining, and fewer jobs offered healthcare coverage and pensions. When earnings increased after 1973, the gains disproportionately accrued to the top earners of the income distribution while workers at the bottom experienced stagnant and declining real incomes. What economic factors during the 1970s created a …

The Vascular Flora Of Bill Yeck Park: Supporting The Conservation Of Local Biodiversity, Taylor Sparbanie

Honors Theses

Maintaining and fostering biodiversity is a critical component of natural areas management and conservation because of its known links to ecosystem function and stability. Identifying and documenting species through a floristic inventory is an important strategy for detecting the presence of rare or unique species, as well as invasive species that pose a threat to biodiversity. Bill Yeck Park is a 194-acre nature park maintained by Centerville-Washington Park District and is largely surrounded by residential areas. The goal of this project was to generate list of vascular plant species for Bill Yeck Park, a large park within the Centerville-Washington Township …

Identifying Natural Inhibitors Of Bacterial Efflux Pumps, Marrisa Therriault

Honors Theses

Antibiotic resistance is a constantly progressing epidemic. Many strains of bacteria have developed a resistance to antibiotics, resulting in prolonged sickness and death. Resistance can be to a specific drug (single drug resistance) or to multiple drugs (multi-drug resistance). This resistance can be caused by a tripartite protein pump called an efflux pump that extends through the inner and outer membranes of the bacterium to pump antibiotics from the inside of the cell to the extracellular environment. In E. coli the efflux pump is called AcrAB-TolC. In the efforts to combat this problem, this experiment focuses on the inactivation of …

In The Face Of Antimicrobialsfactors Contributing To Listeria Monocytogenes Survival And Development Of Resistance, Andrea M. Vietti

Honors Theses

Bacterial antibiotic resistance is on an alarming rise worldwide, thus posing an urgent threat to human health. The rise in antibiotic resistance can be attributed to the overuse and misuse of antibiotics in both the healthcare and agricultural industries. In order to address this concern, this research aimed to identify environmental conditions that may lead to the development of antibiotic resistance in Listeria monocytogenes. L. monocytogenes is a foodborne pathogen capable of causing the disease listeriosis and is especially dangerous for immunocompromised populations. Although infected individuals are treated with antibiotics, an alarmingly high mortality rate of 20 percent still persists; …

Developing A Model For Clinical Song Analysis, Or Why Music Therapists Still Need Music Theory And Musicology, Lesley Wray

Honors Theses

In the music therapy literature, there is a distinct lack of research on clinical song analysis. Analyzing songs can be beneficial for music therapists when choosing songs to use in a session, when discussing songs with a client, and when arranging songs to play with or for clients. In this thesis, I start to bridge the fields of music therapy, music theory, and musicology to create a language of analysis upon which music therapists can draw for clinical song analysis. I focus first on foundational concepts such as timbre, style, and form, which I explain through the analysis of four …

Disclosing Virtue, Michael Zahorec

Honors Theses

This project is about the shape of our moral understanding and discourse. Herein, I describe the moral discourse and understanding afforded through narrative. I understand narrative as both a medium of discourse (i.e. storytelling) and a mode of understanding (i.e. a way to understand oneself, others, and the world(s) in which we find ourselves). In order to describe the ethical understanding and discourse constructed through narrative, I use the meta-ethical framework of Aristotelian virtue theory. The language of virtue theory constitutes the framework upon which I construct my argument regarding the irreplaceable and efficacious nature of narrative. The preface tells …

The Caregiver: A Play Script To Raise Awareness Of The Caregivers Of Alzheimer's Patients, Sarah Stiner

Honors Theses

Inspired by true events that are happening every day, The Caregiver shows glimpses into the life a woman who is caring for her husband, who has been diagnosed with Early-Onset Alzheimer’s. Follow the woman, her husband, and her daughter as they search for answers and experience the emotional rollercoaster of living with this disease. There is sadness, confusion, frustration, but also joy, hope, and love in a story which explores how much care we all truly need, wherever we are in life.

Bones, Holly Palmer

Honors Theses

For my thesis I am using all of the technique I acquired in my oil painting class, as well as my past three life drawing classes. Working with oils allows me to achieve smooth color gradients and rich pigments. Life drawing taught me to understand ratios between different parts of a subject as well as the relationship between it and its negative space. By using all of these techniques I am working to create the most accurate representation of the pieces as possible. I am painting a series of bones floating on the canvases over different tones, allowing each one …

Antibacterial Effects Of Silver Magnetic Nanoparticles Against Escherichia Coli, Salmonella Enterica Serovar Typhimurium And S. Anatum, Hannah Kruse

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Senior Recital, Flute And Alto Flute, Brenna Wiinanen

Honors Theses

Senior Recital

Brenna Wiinanen, flute and alto flute

Eva Chang, piano

Friday, May 24, 2019, 4 p.m.

Edwards Recital Hall

Sonata in B-minor J.S. Bach (1685-1750)

Andante

Largo e do1ce

Presto

Allegro

Nocturne and Allegro Scherzando Philippe Gaubert (1879-1941)

from Eight Pieces for Solo Flute Lowell Liebermann (b. 1961)

1. Ophelia

4. Etude

8. March

Fantaisie brillante sur "Carmen" Bizet/F. Borne (1840-1920)

Au-Dela du Temps pour deux flute Yuko Uebayashi (b. 1975)

I. La lumière lointaine de nuit

II. La lumière dansante

Brenna Wiinanen, flute

Amy Tully, flute

Proteogenomic Mapping Of Gossypium Mustelinum Leaf, Heather Leanne White

Honors Theses

Cotton, having a production value of $7.2 billion in 2017, is one of the most valuable crops in the United States. While not a fiber-producing species, the wild Brazilian tetraploid Gossypium mustelinum may produce a hybrid with exceptionally long fibers if crossed with G. hirsutum, one of the most commonly cultivated species. For the first time, presented here is the global proteome profile of the G. mustelinum leaf which may be used as a reference in future studies. Proteins were extracted from three individual G. mustelinum plants. To maximize protein coverage, two sample preparation techniques were utilized: size-based fractionation by …

Challenges Remain In Conducting Adequate Congressional Oversight, Alexander Crouch

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Relationship Of Mastication Rate And Body Length In West Indian Manatees, Adam Weir

Honors Theses

This study investigates the intraspecific relationship between body length and chewing cycle duration (CCD) among West Indian manatees (Trichechus  manatus).  We recorded 18 captive manatees of varying body lengths consuming two food types.  Additionally, nine of these manatees were recorded on two separate occasions, six years apart, allowing us to control for individual variation to test whether CCD increases as the manatees grow.  CCD was determined from the recordings using Raven Pro 1.5 bioacoustic analysis software.  Food type (r=0.78, p=6.8x10-5, n=17) and body length (r=0.53, p=0.033, n=17) significantly affected CCD.  Manatees chew at a consistent rate, so it may be …

Global And Gene-Specific Regulation In Freeze-Tolerant Anuran Dryophytes Chrysoscelis, Elizabeth Claire Sinnathamby

Honors Theses

Cope’s Gray Treefrog, Dryophytes chysoscelis, seasonally tolerates freezing. During this process, it is subject to cellular stress from factors such as metabolic starvation, DNA damage, toxin accumulation (from cellular metabolism), and the risk of protein misfolding. Preliminary transcriptome data indicates that many mRNA transcripts vary in relative abundance within hepatocytes of D. chrysoscelis during discrete periods of warm acclimation, cold acclimation, freezing, and thawing. Physiological changes that occur in this frog are likely the result of epigenetic regulation—an alteration in gene expression that does not influence DNA sequence. This modification in gene expression can be observed by the subsequent change …

Nitrate Contaminant Tracing In Surface And Groundwater In The Great Miami River Watershed: Environmental Isotope Approach, Rachel Kristine Buzeta

Honors Theses

The global population has increased exponentially causing several challenges surrounding sustainability, including greater food production needs. To meet these demands and boost agricultural productivity, more efficient practices and fertilizers are used. Synthetic fertilizers and other nutrient sources have resulted in water quality degradation and pollution. Much of the Great Miami River Watershed’s streams and aquifers in southwestern Ohio are affected by nitrate contaminants originating from anthropogenic sources including synthetic and organic fertilizer used for agriculture, human wastes (domestic, industrial, and municipal wastes), and urbanization. High nitrate concentrations cause ecological disturbances across all trophic levels. Nitrate levels greater than 10 mg/L …

The Use Of Life Story Interventions Between Older Adult With Dementia And Caregivers: A State Of The Science, Katelyn Mater

Honors Theses

Objective

To synthesize the research findings of storytelling techniques in healthcare settings for adults 50 and older with a diagnosis of dementia.

Data Sources

Data was gathered using the databases CINAHL, Clinicalkey, Pubmed, OVID, Proquest, and Web of Science using the search terms “storytelling/story-telling” and “caregiver”. Articles chosen for this review ranged from 2003-2018.

Data Extraction

Inclusion criteria were: 1). primary research articles, 2). written in English 3). research focused on the use of story-telling between healthcare providers and 4). participants were adults 55 and older with a dementia diagnosis. A total of 9 studies have been selected for further …

Stigma Mitigation Through Fine Arts, Kendall Owens

Honors Theses

Social stigma has plagued our society for centuries. It isolates groups of people based on erroneously defined characteristics causing stigmatized persons to be viewed as socially “abnormal”. This debarment from full social acceptance results in poor population health and well-being. Fine arts have been an integral component of society since the beginning of civilization; current and past research have found involvement in fine arts to improve health and well-being in many ways. In this project, relevant studies related to stigma, fine arts, and population health will be reviewed to support the argument that “fine arts combat and mitigate the …

Knowledge Gap: Supply Chain Students And Employers, Kathryn Bules

Honors Theses

This thesis project aims to identify the gap(s) between supply chain students and employers for both the preparedness and relative importance of the critical job skills employers seek in graduating students. This research is relevant because students view college as an investment that will pay off through better job placement and higher pay upon graduation. The problem is that some employers feel students do not have the skills necessary to be successful on the job. While there has been extensive research regarding a skills gap in graduating students and common criteria employer’s use to rank these students, there is minimal …

An Analysis Of The Developmental Enrichment Of The Seattle Children's Playgarden, Caitlin Koob

Honors Theses

This paper analyzes the opportunities for developmental enrichment, as provided by the Seattle Children’s PlayGarden, from the perspective of occupational therapy. The PlayGarden, located in Seattle, Washington, is an inclusive playground, preschool, and summer camp that promotes inclusion of children with disabilities. The analysis highlights each area of occupation, as identified in the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework, and discusses the garden’s contribution to facilitate growth in those specific skills (American Occupational Therapy Association [AOTA], 2014). The intentionality of the design and program structure advocates for children to maximize their independence in activities of daily living, despite the play-based approach. …

Exploring A Connection Between Learning And Student Perception Of Place, Katelyn Roberts

Honors Theses

The quality of the physical environment is understood to impact overall health, wellbeing, and capacity to learn and engage in daily life. This pilot study explores how students in the Speech Language and Hearing Sciences program at Western Michigan University view the effects of indoor and outdoor nature spaces at the College of Health and Human Services on the East Campus of Western Michigan University on their learning experience. Results of the study suggest that there are significant relationships between the participant’s perception of interesting qualities in the College of Health and Human Services and feeling a sense of connection …

The Use Of Nature As A Treatment Modality In Occupational Therapy, Lauren Koch

Honors Theses

Nature is inherently therapeutic. Applying the principles of occupational therapy within the natural environment integrates the physical, mental, and socio-emotional health benefits afforded by nature into therapeutic intervention practices. The nature centered context of the outdoors addresses performance skills and patterns, highlighting its use as a therapeutic modality. As such, nature may be used as an effective treatment modality in the practice of occupational therapy due to the benefits that it affords. The incorporation of nature into therapeutic intervention may be based upon the environmental factors, available resources, and function of the natural environment. The goal of this literature review …

Point Of Contact, Melina Wilcox

Honors Theses

Dance exists as an expression which originates in the body. This work derives from contact improvisation: a nonverbal conversation wherein each partner concentrates completely on the other, dialoging through touch. At this point of contact, a mark is made.

In life, scars blemish our skin and serve as indications of previous touch. Here, pigments interrupt skin—performer, sculpture, gallery wall, or otherwise—and document the interaction between two bodies.

Our bodies are vehicles for communication. Through tactile interaction and spatial relationships, we understand each other in ways beyond words. Our innate intelligence and intuition arise from a lifetime of moving through space …

Predator Diet Affects Perceived Oviposition Site Quality For Mosquitoes, Brandon Mcdaniel

Honors Theses

Ovipositing freshwater organisms rely primarily on cues to determine site quality (Silberbush and Blaustein 2008) and to select an ideal habitat for their offspring (Resetarits 2014). Characteristics of high quality oviposition sites that yield the greatest fitness for offspring include the absence of predators and high resource availability that allows for optimal growth and development (Kershenbaum et al. 2012). It has been shown that predator presence is a large deterrent of oviposition due to threats of offspring survival, however, there is a little information about the predatory cues mosquitoes experience before ovipositing (Angelon and Petranka 2002). One hypothesis is that …

Against The Young, Starry Background: A Critical Analysis Of A Creative Work In The Context Of Its Genres, Todd Kleiboer

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

A Qualitative Study Of The Possible Link Between Masculinity And Aggression Among College Football Players, Leanna Brown

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Preparing College Graduates For Work Success In A Rapid Changing Modern-Day Business Landscape., Benito Vavra

Honors Theses

The goal of this thesis is to provide a well-developed and hypothetical course curriculum overview that could serve as a course for students in business school.

The course itself will contain three core phases:

1. Getting a job – How to get a job, more specifically covering the complexity in navigating through the process of attaining a job after college. Some of the topics will be getting hired, the interview process, job hunting, wage negotiation and its importance, setting up goals, and selecting a career path. (Readings: What Color is your Parachute)

2. Your Hired – Once a graduate is …

"Let Bartlet Be Bartlet:" The Presidential Politics Of Aaron Sorkin's The West Wing, Marjory Madeline Zuk

Honors Theses

From 1999-2006, Aaron Sorkin’s television show The West Wing entertained audiences with a weekly backstage pass to life in the White House. While the show featured plotlines regarding the characters’ personal lives, it also centered the policy decisions of President Bartlet and his staffers, and it informed audiences about political issues and tools. With background research, I confirmed that the style of the show was a valuable educational tool, as it used both episodic and thematic framing devices when discussing different political issues. My understanding of its ability to influence audiences’ understandings of political issues lead my interest in understanding …

Analyzing Access To Higher Education: Through The Lens Of Socioeconomic Factors At Bucknell University, Autumn J. Patterson

Honors Theses

Access to higher education in the United States greatly varies depending on numerous characteristics; especially an applicant’s race and financial status. This thesis aims to answer the following questions regarding access to higher education at Bucknell University: How have socioeconomic factors affecting access evolved in the past twelve years? Has this change increased or decreased access for Bucknell students? Does the level of access change when gender and race are analyzed? Is Bucknell successfully leveling the playing field for all students regarding their earning potential after they graduate? Lastly, does the mismatch hypothesis apply to Bucknell? By utilizing data from …

The Relationship Between Housing Price And Proximity To Public Land In Denver, Co, Connor Wyman

Honors Theses

This study examines how proximity to public lands influences housing values. This will be done using a hedonic pricing strategy, which is useful when analyzing heterogeneous goods such as a house or apartment. The data for this study comes from the American Community Survey (ACS) of Denver, CO from 2010 and 2017. This study also includes four variables related to distance from large open public spaces: one each for the distance from the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge, Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge, Cherry Creek State Park, and Chatfield State Park. Multiple linear regressions were used to analyze the …